1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products for creating a session log for a computing device being studied for usability by a plurality of usability experts.
2. Description of Related Art
When computer architects design a computing device and its software, these architects often make a great effort to ensure that the device is convenient and easy to use from the perspective of a user. For example, the buttons on the device should be easily accessible when needed for device interaction, while not hindering the user's interaction with the device when the buttons are not in use. As a further example, the graphical user interface of a device should be logically arranged and configured from the user's perspective such that the user's interaction with the device is intuitive for the user.
To ensure that a computing device is convenient and easy to use from a user's perspective, computer architects typically perform usability studies on the interaction of a user with the computing device. Usability refers to a full range of aspects that impact a user's success and satisfaction when interacting with the device. Usability encompass issues such as, for example, a user's understanding of how to operate the device's interface, the ease with which a user is able to physically manipulate the device and its controls, a user's emotions while interacting with the device, the correspondence between the user's desired output from the device and the output actually produced by the device, and so on. In studying a device's usability, high usability is generally regarded as a desirable feature of the device.
Usability studies have traditionally been conducted by having a usability expert observe a user interacting with a computing device and record the expert's observations in a log. The drawback to this traditional approach to studying usability is that the information recorded in the log is limited to the observations capable of being observed by a usability expert. As devices have become smaller and more complex, the ability of a usability expert to observe importance aspects affecting the user's interaction with a computing device is greatly diminished. In particular, some aspects of the user's interaction may not be observable at all. As such, readers will appreciate that room for improvement exists in the area of studying the usability of a computing device.